


Baby, We're a Disaster

by myemergence



Series: Lone Star Dates [1]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Dating, Disaster dates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:20:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29653995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myemergence/pseuds/myemergence
Summary: Carlos and TK have been trying—and failing—to go on a successful date for weeks. They’re not asking for much, just an evening that doesn’t end in total disaster.So, Carlos springs a date on TK at the last moment, but it’s definitely not what TK was envisioning.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Lone Star Dates [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2143815
Comments: 8
Kudos: 122





	Baby, We're a Disaster

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [marciaelena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marciaelena) for the beta, and [Jen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jecari) for the lovely banner.
> 
> Big thanks to Jen and Holly for the encouragement for this idea (although this would have been MUCH longer had it had all of the disaster dates they wanted me to include)

TK always looks forward to date night with Carlos. Although they’ve only been official for about six months, date night has always been important.

Carlos is always incredibly thoughtful, putting so much time and effort into the dates that he plans. On many nights, he’ll spend the evening cooking a meal that’s restaurant-worthy for the two of them. Except in TK’s eyes it’s better, because of the added intimacy of being in Carlos’ home.

For a change, TK decides he’ll be the one putting the effort into date night, and they’ll actually have some alone time back at his place. Luckily, his dad is going out on a date—with his mom, of all people—so they’ll have the house to themselves tonight. TK’s spent the better part of the afternoon trying to get everything just right. He wants to cook for Carlos, but the simple truth is… he’s not nearly as good of a cook as Carlos is.

When he was living in New York, he lived on takeout and salads. So his attempts haven’t been going nearly as well as he’d like.

He just recently began ordering meal delivery kits to make things easier and take the guesswork out of cooking for himself and his dad. It’s only been about a week, which should be enough time to at least get the basic skills down before their date.

The meal delivery kits come with all of the needed ingredients, and the recipes spell out what he needs to do. Still, he botches the first attempt, so it’s a good thing that he has a week’s worth of meals to try with.

He attempts the parmesan crusted chicken, which comes paired with a kale salad. Thankfully it isn’t a total failure; the kale salad is easy enough to put together, and it dresses up the plates quite a bit. He worries that the chicken might be a little on the dry side when it’s pulled out of the oven, but it should at least be edible. TK hopes Carlos will still appreciate that he’s not the one putting in all of the effort, even if the food’s not nearly as good as the three course meals he’s made for TK in the past.

“This is good,” Carlos says, taking a bite of the kale salad before his eyes return to TK’s. “Really good, babe.”

The compliment brings a warm smile to TK’s face, his anxiety over cooking for Carlos having obviously been for nothing. “Well, it’s definitely not your cooking, but I think it turned out alright.”

They take their time catching up on the week over their meal, and after doing the dishes side by side they make their way into the living room. Eventually they sit down on the couch with their drinks. “Thank you for doing this,” Carlos says softly, taking TK’s mineral water and setting it down along with his own drink on the coffee table. “It was really thoughtful.”

“I definitely need more practice in the kitchen.” TK chuckles as Carlos draws him into his arms, and he relaxes into the embrace, resting his head against Carlos’ shoulder. TK drops a kiss against Carlos’ neck before turning his head to look at him more closely. “Maybe you could give me a few lessons.”

“I’d like that.”

Cupping TK’s face, Carlos leans in for a tender kiss, and TK shifts until he’s on top of Carlos, deepening the kiss. TK’s hands drop to the buttons on Carlos’ shirt, making quick work of the buttons.

“TK, your dad—”

“He’s on a date. It’s fine,” TK assures Carlos between kisses, rucking up Carlos’ shirt impatiently.

“TK…” Carlos trails off, placing his hands gently on top of TK’s to stop them from wandering anymore as he tries to catch his breath. He seeks out TK’s gaze, his eyes heated. “Maybe we could take this somewhere else.”

TK groans unhappily before untangling himself from Carlos’ limbs and climbing off of the couch. He reaches down, offering a hand to help Carlos up and then drawing him close. “You better make it quick if you want us to make it all the way to the bedroom,” he mutters, taking Carlos’ face between his hands and kissing him deeply.

Carlos laughs as he pulls back a little, his lips still brushing against TK’s as he’s led towards the bedroom.

“I think that can be arranged,” Carlos murmurs when they reach the bedroom.

With his back pressed against the door, TK reaches blindly for the doorknob. Carlos pulls back from the kiss, turning them around and continuing to walk TK back towards the bed until they tumble onto the mattress below together.

* * *

“That,” Carlos huffs out a breath, “was incredible. _You’re_ incredible.”

TK’s eyes close against the words, wondering how he’s been lucky enough to have Carlos in his life. There have been times—especially early on in getting to know Carlos—when maybe he didn’t deserve the patience or praise that Carlos gave him. Still, here he is now, even despite how awful TK had been to him before. Dropping his head forward, TK places a tender kiss against Carlos’ chest.

“No, you’re the incredible one, Carlos,” TK promises, brushing his thumb lightly over the skin that he just kissed. “Which might be why I’m so parched right now. I’m gonna go grab a water, do you need anything from the kitchen?”

“Water would be perfect.”

After a quick kiss, TK climbs out of the bed, pulling on his underwear and joggers. Making his way into the kitchen, he opens the refrigerator and grabs a couple of waters. Closing the door as he’s about to make his way back to the bedroom, he hears a noise coming from the living room that stops him. His forehead creases, and he sets the waters down on the counter as he steps closer.

“Buttercup? Is that you?” TK calls as he walks toward the living room.

“Uh, TK,” his dad manages, his head appearing over the edge of the couch. He clears his throat a little as he looks over at his son. “I wasn’t expecting you to be home.”

TK’s eyes narrow a little from where he stands. “I told you that I was going to be home—”

Slowly, the pieces slide into place and TK realizes what’s actually unfolding in the living room. His dad is shirtless, and it’s obvious that he’s not alone on the couch.

“You have got to be kidding me,” TK mutters. The words are barely out before he spots his mom, sliding out from underneath his dad, moving to the other side of the couch as she buttons her blouse back, looking at TK sheepishly. His dad moves as well, putting his shirt back on.

“Oh my God, _my eyes_.”

“—you’ve been gone a while, babe, is everything okay?” Carlos asks as he makes his way out to the kitchen where the abandoned waters still sit waiting on the counter. TK barely turns his head to look at Carlos before shifting his attention back to his parents, and they look a hell of a lot more like two horny teenagers than two grown—and _very_ divorced—adults.

There is literally no way that TK is ever going to get rid of this mental image, it’ll be seared into his memory _until the end of time_.

“Oh, your parents are here,” Carlos says awkwardly as the situation comes into focus for him. He, at least, got dressed before joining the family reunion happening in the living room. “Captain Strand, Ms. Morgan,” he adds politely.

TK barks out a laugh. “They’re not _supposed_ to be here. What the hell, Dad?”

“I thought you said you guys had a date tonight.”

“Yeah, we did, and I told you the date was _here_ because I was going to cook for Carlos. I can’t even have a conversation with you right now, when you’re both like _this—_ ” TK says, waving his hand around, turning and grabbing the waters off of the counter on his way through the kitchen. Wordlessly, he hands Carlos his drink.

TK barely registers Carlos muttering something, trying to pretend this entire situation isn’t awkward as fuck. Along the lines of ‘it was nice seeing you’, but he stumbles over the end of his sentence, obviously with the realization that he saw entirely _too_ much of TK’s parents tonight.

Once inside his room with Carlos again, TK closes the door before leaning back against it with a dramatic groan. “I really need to start looking for my own apartment, because I will literally _die_ if I ever see that again.”

* * *

After their last date ends in a colossal disaster, Carlos decides that taking TK out to a restaurant instead of going back to the Strand residence would probably be for the best. He’s definitely not wrong, as TK’s sure that he can’t go through another incident like that.

Carlos picks TK up a little after seven, and _damn_ if Carlos isn’t looking good enough to devour. As Carlos turns into the parking lot for Torched Tableside, TK finds Carlos’ hand and laces their fingers together, resting their hands against the center console as Carlos drives around, looking for an empty parking spot. After a few minutes, Carlos pulls the truck into a spot and hops out of the truck, then walks around to TK’s side and pulls the door open for him.

“You don’t need to get the door for me.” TK chuckles lightly before Carlos swoops in for a kiss.

“I know that I don’t need to, TK.” Carlos takes TK’s hand and they begin walking towards the entrance to the restaurant. “But I like doing things for you.”

TK feels a light heat creep into his cheeks, and he wonders why his boyfriend’s thoughtfulness has the ability to make him blush like some schoolyard crush in grade school.

When they get closer to the entrance, TK jogs ahead a few steps and pulls open the door for Carlos, winking at him. “After you.”

Carlos grins, and with a shake of his head he steps through the door with TK trailing right behind him. Once they’re inside they check in with the hostess, and Carlos lets her know the reservation is under Reyes. Although it’s not the fanciest restaurant out there, Torched Tableside is one that they’ve been wanting to try for months, but they’re usually booked solid. They don’t have an extensive menu, but most of the dishes that they offer are unique, and it’s the only restaurant of its kind around the Greater Austin area.

After just a few minutes of waiting, they’re led through the restaurant and to their table.

Carlos surprised TK a few nights ago, letting him know that they were finally able to get into the restaurant after being waitlisted for nearly a month. Shuffling forward, Carlos pulls out TK’s chair for him, waiting until he’s seated to walk around to his own seat across the table. TK smooths a hand down over his shirt, making sure that it’s still neatly pressed as he watches Carlos.

They’re alone at the table for a few minutes until the waitress comes over and takes their drink orders—two mineral waters—before leaving them to their menus to make a decision.

“I can’t believe you finally got us into this place,” TK says, laying his hand face up on the table, the perfect weight of Carlos’ hand settling on top.

“The owner owed me a favor. Said he could bump me up a little on their ridiculous wait list. Hopefully the food is worth it.”

“I’m sure the food will be phenomenal.”

“You don’t think there’s anything wrong with a firefighter dining at a restaurant where they literally set your food on fire?” Carlos teases.

TK shrugs a little. “Think of it this way: at least if something goes wrong they’ve got someone that’s dining here who can help put out a fire. Though I’m pretty sure the cooks here are seasoned, and aren’t going to accidentally set the place on fire.”

“Fair enough,” Carlos replies through a smile. “Did you want to order the saganaki? I was talking to Michelle the other day and she said that she was here a few months ago, and it was amazing.”

TK glances down at his menu until he finds the list of appetizers: saganaki: _kasseri cheese, lightly floured and seared, flamed with ouzo tableside_.

“You know what they say,” TK says with a grin. “Go big or go home.”

When their waitress returns to the table with their drinks, she takes the order for their appetizer. Carlos lets her know that they need a bit more time to choose their main course, and she leaves them to it.

“Thanks for not giving up on me after the horror show that our last date turned into.”

“I think maybe you’re being a little hard on your parents,” Carlos says after a minute. “Things like that… happen sometimes. It wasn’t intentional, it was just miscommunication.”

“A _very scarring_ miscommunication for their son, who saw his mother half-naked. How do you think you’d feel if you saw your parents like that—”

“—okay, okay, I get it,” Carlos cuts TK off. “It was awkward. But, maybe it’s the push that you need to get out from under your dad’s wing and get into your own place.”

TK hesitates, huffing out a quiet breath at Carlos’ words. He knows that’s what he said last week after he’d walked in on his parents… doing whatever it was that they were doing. At first, the arrangement to have TK live under his dad’s roof had been due to TK’s relapse, and his dad’s fear of what would happen if he was on his own. However, after his dad’s unexpected battle with lung cancer he can barely think about not being there to check in on him and make sure that he’s okay.

“You’re being really quiet over there, which isn’t exactly like you,” Carlos urges, tracing his thumb along the edge of TK’s hand to get his attention. “I just meant if you think you’re ready to be out on your own.”

“It’s not that, Carlos. I just worry about my dad being there alone if I move out and get my own place, y’know?” TK is barely able to stop the words before they come tumbling past his lips in a messy heap. _What if it comes back?_

“He’s in remission,” Carlos reminds him with an encouraging smile. “Plus, it’s not like he’ll actually be alone. Your mom is living there.”

“She’s living there to help take care of _me_. If I move out… I don’t know what that would mean for her, either.”

“Maybe it’s a conversation worth having, if those are the only things holding you back. I know that you love your parents and want to be there for them, but you also need to think about your happiness and future, TK.”

TK knows that he’s right. He can’t live under his dad’s roof forever, even if he made the move seem indefinite after they relocated to Austin. At some point he has to continue to go forward with his life, and maybe now is the time for that.

“I’ll think about it,” TK promises.

And he will, but right now he wants to focus on this date with Carlos and not get sucked into some sort of spiral that’s going to leave him feeling sad.

“I just don’t want you to forget how far you’ve come since we’ve met.”

TK dips his head down at Carlos’ words, a light flush coming to his cheeks. “I do feel different than when I first came to Austin,” he admits. “And I can’t say that a certain police officer doesn’t have something to do with that.”

“Do I need to hunt this police officer down and tell him to leave my boyfriend alone, or…” Carlos teases, weaving their fingers together on top of the table.

“I think I can handle him,” TK says with a wink.

The waitress, along with the cook, approaches their table with the saganaki, which TK and his rumbling stomach are grateful for. TK slips his hand out of Carlos’, sitting back in his seat as they turn their attention to the cook, who uses the ouzo in the saganaki pan before igniting it. TK watches as the flame creeps up, obviously unbothered by the fire, and turns his attention back to Carlos.

It’s in that instant that he hears an audible hiss, then suddenly a spray of water begins to rain down on them. The shocked expression on Carlos’ face is a mirror image of TK’s.

“What was that about their cooks being seasoned here?” Carlos mutters.

And, just like that, another date night ruined. _This has got to be a joke._

* * *

After two weeks in a row of failed dates, TK is holding his figurative breath that they’ll finally have a normal date. They decided for something more relaxed, just going for some frozen yogurt and then walking over to the park, which is only a few minutes away.

“So what flavor are you getting?” Carlos asks, dropping a hand down to TK’s lower back as they stand in line.

“Do you really not know?” TK cocks his head to the side a little as he looks at Carlos.

“I just thought,” Carlos says with an easy laugh, “that you might switch it up for a change. Instead of getting mango everytime we come here. You’re so daring in the rest of your life, but not when it comes to your frozen yogurt.” There’s a fond smile on Carlos’ face that tells TK he’s not actually bothered by his fro-yo preferences.

TK rolls his eyes playfully. “And what would you suggest?”

“How about I pick a few of my favorites to get samples of and then you can choose?”

Of course Carlos’ suggestion is logical and thoughtful, ensuring that TK would order something that he likes and not get stuck with something that he’s barely able to choke down. A few samples later, TK settles on cake batter and Carlos orders berry tart.

They head out of The Golden Spoon and back into the sunny day, TK taking a bite of his frozen yogurt as they walk side by side on the busy sidewalk.

“This is nice,” TK says as they near the park. After a couple of failed dates, it’s nice to do something lowkey like this, without the need for everything to be perfect. No fancy restaurant with a sprinkler system to drench them, and no parents to utterly ruin the mood of their date. Just the two of them enjoying a sunny afternoon, taking a stroll together and having their favorite frozen yogurt.

“Don’t,” Carlos warns with a smile.

“Don’t, what?”

“Jinx it. Tempt the universe.” Carlos laughs.

TK shakes his head a little, because really, it’s absurd that something like a little comment could change the course of their date. “You’re being dramatic, Officer Reyes.”

They reach the park a few minutes later, and TK tosses their empty cups into the garbage. Walking past the playground, they continue towards where there’s a picnic bench, and shortly beyond that, a tennis and basketball court.

“Wanna sit?” TK suggests.

“I was going to suggest a game of basketball,” Carlos says, motioning towards the bench. “But we can sit if you want.”

“I mean, if you want me to kick your ass in basketball, then by all means. Let’s play,” TK says, bypassing the picnic table and continuing towards the empty basketball court.

TK’s stomach rolls uncomfortably as they enter the basketball court, and he stops for a second as Carlos gathers a basketball. Leaning against the fence, he watches Carlos before taking a few steps forward.

Carlos dribbles the ball a few times, passing it to TK then “You’re looking a little squeamish there, babe. Are you afraid I’m going to beat you?”

TK catches the ball with a forced laugh, glancing at Carlos out of the corner of his eye. “Of course I’m not afraid.” He makes an easy shot before passing the ball back to Carlos. “What about a game of Horse?”

“Horse is fine. And I guess we’ll just have to wait and see which one of us is right,” Carlos says. “You wanna go first?”

TK grins wickedly. “After you, as they say... age before beauty.”

Carlos ignores the comment and dribbles the ball a few times, finding a spot on the court and making a shot that easily sinks into the net. “Figured an easy one to start.”

“Mhm,” TK hums with a smile, moving past Carlos to retrieve the basketball. Swallowing down another wave of nausea, TK tries to ignore the mounting feeling in his stomach, swiping the back of his hand across his forehead. TK takes Carlos’ spot on the court, dribbling a few times and then shooting, bouncing the ball off of the backboard and completely missing the net.

“Awww, you _missed_ it,” Carlos teases.

In that moment TK realizes that this feeling that’s been building in his stomach isn’t just going to go away, and that this is probably going to end very, very badly.

“I’ll, uh, be right back,” TK rushes to say. He gives Carlos a quick glance, jogging away from the basketball court and running towards the bathrooms.

* * *

One minute they’re playing Horse and TK is teasing him, and the next TK is taking off on a sprint towards the bathroom. The words die on Carlos’ lips as he watches his boyfriend’s retreating figure.

He waits a little while for TK to return to him at the basketball court. The minutes seem to stretch on, and Carlos glances down at his watch, noting that he’s been gone for more than five minutes already. He sends a text to TK asking if everything is alright, and after a few more minutes with no response Carlos takes the same path that TK did towards the bathroom.

It’s possible that TK’s come out of the bathroom and gotten distracted, so he glances around the area, and when he doesn’t see him, Carlos heads into the bathroom. There are a few stalls and only one of them is closed.

“TK?” Carlos calls, not stepping closer to the closed stall door in case it’s not him. At first he hears nothing, then the sound of retching. Carlos hesitates, and less than a minute later the stall door is being pushed open to allow a pale-faced TK to step out. “Are you okay?”

TK brushes past him silently, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows. Turning the water on, he rinses out his mouth and splashes his face with water. Finally, TK turns to him. “I’m never having cake batter fro-yo again,” he jokes weakly.

Carlos rubs a hand soothingly over his back, making small circles as TK remains hunched over the sink.

“I should probably get you home so you can rest,” Carlos says softly. Seeing TK looking like this— so unwell— it sends Carlos’ desire to take care of him into overdrive. “Why don’t you rest on the bench outside? I’ll walk back and get the truck.”

TK hesitates, then finally nods.

* * *

The moment that TK is buckled and Carlos pulls out of the parking lot, he leans his head against the door and dozes off. It isn’t until the truck is coming to a stop that TK finally begins to stir.

“I thought you were taking me home,” TK mumbles tiredly, finally lifting his head away from the coolness of the window. They’re in Carlos’ driveway, and he furrows his brow trying to calculate how they even got here.

“My home is your home, too, TK,” Carlos says, unbuckling his seatbelt and turning to him. “Maybe not _officially_ , but I thought you might be able to rest better here.”

“Do you really want me to get my germs all over everything? I was just puking my guts out—”

“And we were just kissing earlier, so I’m pretty sure if I’m gonna get sick, it’s gonna happen whether you’re here or not.” Carlos hops out, rounding the truck to TK’s side and pulling open the door. “Now let’s go get you in bed.”

TK tries to ignore the way that his muscles ache as he shifts to unbuckle. He remains silent, letting Carlos help him out of the truck and into the apartment. He doesn’t know how this hit him so suddenly. He was perfectly fine when they ordered frozen yogurt, and for the entirety of their walk. It hit him so suddenly, and he barely feels like he has the energy to shuffle further into Carlos’ home after he’s managed to take off his shoes.

Somehow, he’s lucky enough to have Carlos in his life, _wanting_ to take care of him when he’s a complete disaster.

“Why don’t you change into something more comfortable?” Carlos suggests once he leads TK into his bedroom. Walking over to the dresser, Carlos pulls open a drawer and takes out a pair of TK’s joggers, setting them on the bed. “I’m gonna go get you something to drink for when you’re feeling a little better. I’ll be right back.”

TK changes into the joggers and grabs one of Carlos’ shirts, pulling it over his head before crawling into bed. He settles on the left side— where he always sleeps when he spends the night here— and turns over onto his side, willing his stomach to not betray him anymore.

Carlos quietly slips back into the bedroom, trying not to disturb TK in case he’s fallen asleep. Even though it’s barely dinner time, he changes into his pajamas and slides into bed beside TK.

“You don’t have to stay in here with me,” TK murmurs behind a yawn. “You should go make some dinner for yourself, or watch some TV.”

“I want to lie here with you,” Carlos insists. “I brought you some Gatorade for when your stomach settles a little. Is there anything else I can do?”

“No, you’re already doing everything. And after I ruined our _third_ _date in a row_ ,” TK says miserably. “We should just give up on going out on dates. It’s just not meant to be.”

Carlos reaches over, stroking his thumb over TK’s jawline. “Everything with us is meant to be, TK. It’s just a bad string of dates. It won’t last forever.” Carlos presses a kiss to TK’s forehead. “But for now, sleep.”

TK barely nods, trying to let Carlos’ words soothe him and banish the worry that they’re never going to be able to go out on a successful date again. At what point does it stop? When can they just be normal again?

“Stop worrying,” Carlos chides, stroking his fingers along TK’s arm before kissing his temple. “Sleep.”

And TK does.

* * *

“Pack a bag.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Pack a bag for the night, we leave in thirty minutes.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” TK tells him slowly, setting the remote down on the couch before turning his attention to Carlos, who’s standing in the doorway. They don’t have any plans together today. It’s one of TK’s days off this week, and his only plans are taking advantage of an empty house, lounging on the couch in a pair of joggers and watching Netflix all day.

“We are. C’mon, TK,” Carlos urges from where he stands.

“Will you at least tell me where we’re going?” TK asks, turning the TV off and setting the remote down.

“No.”

TK stands up from the couch, walking towards Carlos. How could he possibly be taking TK somewhere and not be willing to fill him in on the details before they leave?

“Carlos,” TK says, bordering on a whine. “I don’t know what to pack.”

“You just need to pack pajamas, a change of clothes, and the usual toiletries. Stop complicating this, TK,” Carlos says, stepping out from the doorway and walking toward TK’s room.

“Why won’t you just tell me?” TK pouts as he trails behind Carlos, opening the door to his room.

“Because it’s a surprise.”

“Is it somewhere I’ve always wanted to go?” TK asks, digging out a bag from his closet, then tossing it onto the bed and unzipping it.

“Well, not _exactly,”_ Carlos says from the other side of the bed, and TK catches the uncertainty in his expression.

“Okay, you’re going to spill before we leave here.”

TK should be annoyed with Carlos’ amused chuckle, but instead he feels warmth spreading in his chest like wildfire at the sound. “No, I’m not,” Carlos insists.

“Well,” TK begins, abandoning his unpacked bag. “I think I might be able to sway you to change your mind.”

Carlos tries biting back a smile, but it curls up the corners of his mouth anyway. “You could try, but chances are that—”

His words are cut off as TK backs him up against the wall, lips on his without any hesitation. The kiss is rough and needy, TK pouring his desire to know into the kiss. Dragging a hand down Carlos’ chest, TK settles it at his hip. Maybe he’s playing dirty, but with Carlos being a cop he knows that this is probably the only interrogation technique that has any chance of working. So he grinds against Carlos once, finally breaking the kiss and mouthing at his neck, sucking and nipping at the skin there.

“Oh, I’m going to try,” TK murmurs against his skin, breathless.

“Playing dirty, aren’t we?” Carlos manages as he threads his fingers through TK’s hair, gently tugging on it, bringing him upright so their eyes can meet.

TK sees the desire there and smiles. “What’s that saying? Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Carlos hums. “Well, you certainly are desperate right now,” he admits with a little grin. “But that doesn’t change the fact that this is a surprise for a reason.”

TK groans and drops his head back in defeat as Carlos leans forward, barely brushing his lips over TK’s cheek, then using the space he created between them to slip away from the wall.

“I must be losing my touch,” TK grumbles, watching as Carlos walks over to the dresser and pulls out some clothes before tossing them into the duffle bag on the bed.

“That’s definitely _not_ the problem,” Carlos promises, walking to TK’s closet and grabbing the rest of the clothes he’ll need for the following day and dropping them into the bag. “If you think I don’t want to take you right now, TK, you’re very, very wrong.”

TK squints at him a little, watching as Carlos packs his bag while he continues pouting for not knowing their plans. “Then what is the problem?”

“The problem,” Carlos begins, “is that we’ve had three dates that have ended in disaster in a row. I’m trying to break the curse, and not planning a date seems like the right way to go.”

“But you had to plan it,” TK sputters out the words helplessly.

“More or less. Consider it more like a non-date date,” Carlos explains.

“This all sounds _very_ romantic, Carlos. Please, sweep me off my feet like this every time.”

Carlos exits the room with a roll of his eyes, returning a minute later with TK’s toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant. Tossing them into the bag, Carlos looks at TK as he zips the duffle closed. Pinching his brow together for a moment as if he’s measuring his own movements, Carlos grabs the bag off of the bed and moves toward the door.

“Get in the truck, TK,” is all he says, brushing past TK and leaving him alone in the house.

TK sighs as he watches Carlos go. The realization that he’s being a brat about it hits him. He should give Carlos an easier time when he’s just trying to do something for them to connect again, _without disaster_. Hell, that’s all he’s wanted for weeks now.

Passing through the kitchen, TK grabs a couple of waters and snacks for the road. After locking the front door on the way out, he climbs into the truck. Carlos sits there silently, jaw tense.

“I’m sorry, baby,” TK murmurs once he’s inside, leaning over to kiss Carlos on the cheek. He clears his throat then, hoping that Carlos isn’t upset with him over this. He’s forgiven him for far worse, just as quickly. In the back of his mind is a nagging voice asking when Carlos is going to tire of him. TK does his best to ignore it, knowing that Carlos hasn’t given him any reason to doubt him, refusing to let his past sabotage his relationship. “I brought us a few waters and snacks for the road, since I’m not sure how far we have to go.”

“You’re forgiven,” Carlos says, turning his head to look fully at TK. “And thank you, it’s only about 45 minutes.” After pecking TK on the lips, he starts the truck and they head off for Destination Unknown.

Carlos opens a playlist on Spotify, and they get lost in their usual banter on the drive. TK tries to figure out where exactly it is that Carlos is taking him, but his tone is teasing and Carlos doesn’t bristle under the questions. A protein bar and half a bottle of water in, Carlos turns off into McKinney State Park.

TK raises his brow in curiosity. “Are we stopping for a hike on the way?”

“You could say that,” Carlos confirms with a nod. “We’re going for a hike, and then we’re staying the night here.”

“Oh, a cabin here is probably really nice,” TK comments as he settles back into his seat, glancing out the window. “I’ve never been here before, but Judd was telling me about taking Grace to the cabins here once for a long weekend.”

Carlos finishes checking in at the booth before he drives forward. “Uh, well, we’re not exactly staying in a cabin,” Carlos provides.

TK turns away from the window then, eyes settling on Carlos. He quickly tries to figure out what other possible options there are at a state park. “Then where would we be spending the night?”

“...a tent, TK.”

“I’m sorry, can you say that again?”

Carlos shakes his head a little, pulling into the parking lot and climbing out of the truck. He pauses with the door open and looks at TK with exasperated fondness, “I’ll be right back.” Without giving TK any time to argue, he closes the door and makes his way to the building.

TK sits in the truck, impatiently drumming his fingers against his thigh. It’s only a few minutes that Carlos is gone, and when he returns he hangs the tag that displays their campsite and departure date over the rearview mirror.

After they check-in, Carlos doesn’t immediately head for the campgrounds, instead following the road back towards the hiking trails. Hiking is definitely something that Carlos enjoys more than TK, but he can’t say that walking beside Carlos hand in hand on the easier terrain isn’t something that he likes. There’s a peace that seems to settle over them there, and the uneasiness of their past failed dates fades away.

“You know,” TK says. They’ve reached the end of the hiking trail, looking down over the gorge. “I might ordinarily complain that you took me out here on a _date_ to hike, but the view makes up for all of it.”

“Well, the date is technically us going camping together, so consider this a bonus,” Carlos says, kissing TK’s jaw before looking back out at the water. “I’ve come out here before, and I’ve always found it really peaceful.”

“I don’t know if you’ve realized this about me yet, but I’m not _exactly_ a camping kind of guy.”

Carlos chuckles, sliding an arm around TK’s lower back and drawing him closer. “ _Exactly_ how many times have you been camping that made you come to that conclusion?”

Pausing to think about the question, TK realizes he’s never actually been camping— but with good reason. Camping wasn’t exactly something that was common back in New York City. Sure, some people traveled and liked to go camp in the wilderness, but that just wasn’t something TK had the desire to do.

He shakes his head under Carlos’ gaze. “I’m from New York City… I’ve never been camping, unless you count that hotel that—”

“A hotel is not camping,” Carlos says, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “But we’d better head over to our site so we have time to set up.”

“Set up?” TK asks warily.

“Oh, you have so much to learn.” Carlos lets his arm fall from around TK’s back, instead lacing their fingers together. “Tonight's gonna be great.”

TK’s glad that at least one of them is sure of that, because he’s definitely _not_. He doesn’t know the first thing about camping, and he’s not all convinced that he wants to learn. The idea of sleeping on the ground isn’t a great one. It seems like so much work when TK’s meant to spend his day off relaxing.

He bites back his comments, knowing that Carlos put time and effort into planning this. Instead, he squeezes Carlos’ hand as they begin to descend the trail back toward the truck. The trail isn’t too long, and within less than an hour Carlos pulls the truck onto the gravel covered loop where their campsite is located. TK looks out the window as Carlos drives around the loop, watching the people there: a family huddled around a campfire and looking so at peace, then what TK assumes to be a group of friends playing ladder ball, and lastly, a little girl riding her bike along the side of the road with her dad trailing behind.

If all of these different people seem to be having a good time here, he thinks maybe he can, too.

Carlos pulls onto the short stone-covered driveway, cutting the engine and climbing out of the truck. Before TK even has the chance to get out, Carlos opens the tailgate and begins pulling out the camping gear. “So, first things first,” Carlos announces as he holds up a large duffel bag. “The tent.”

“Go for it.” TK shrugs as he looks around their site.

“This isn’t a solo activity. You’re helping.” Carlos laughs a little as he surveys the campsite, looking for the best spots to put up the tent for the night.

“I don’t know how to set up a tent,” TK scoffs, watching Carlos as he drops the duffel bag on the ground. “I’m from the city, this is all very much _not_ in my wheelhouse.”

Carlos closes in the space between them, resting a hand on TK’s lower back. “So you’ll learn. You’ve always been a fast learner.”

TK joins Carlos where he stands, unloading the poles and tent from the bag. “I’m not going to be happy about it, but I’ll help.”

“It wasn’t really up for discussion,” Carlos says, squatting down in front of the bag and pulling the stakes out. “You either help, or you sleep outside on the ground.”

“Bossy.” TK smirks. “I like it.”

Carlos looks at TK as he stands up, a look of mock seriousness on his face until a smile wins over. “I’ll show you bossy,” Carlos says, motioning to the pile of poles on the ground. “These just click into place, can you get those together and separate them by size?”

“This wasn’t the kind of bossy I had in mind.”

Setting up a tent is everything that TK imagined it would be; boring, and a royal pain in the ass. Once it’s done, Carlos gets everything else on the site set up and organized. TK’s impressed, because it looks like he’s thought of everything, right down to the tablecloth on the picnic table.

“I thought we could get a campfire going, have some s’mores and see where the night takes us.”

“If you take the campfire out of the equation, it doesn’t sound like a terrible night,” TK admits.

“We’re camping, of course there’s going to be a campfire.”

“But I’m going to smell like smoke, Carlos.”

Carlos sets the box of wood down, turning slowly to look at TK where he’s setting up their chairs a small distance from the firepit. “You’re a firefighter, TK, you should be used to smelling like fire,” Carlos says dryly.

“But you’re not supposed to smell like smoke on a _date_ ,” TK says, definitely not mentioning that he’s unsure if things are different on a non-date date.

Carlos begins to build the fire inside of the pit, and TK can’t help but notice that it seems like he really knows what he’s doing. TK lends a hand, rooting around in the bottom of the box to hand Carlos what he needs. All of this seems so natural to Carlos, like he’s been doing it all his life.

“Hey, um.” TK sits down in the chair as the fire starts, and Carlos settles into his own chair beside him. “Why did you want to bring me here?”

“Aside from the fact that your parents aren’t here and there’s no sprinkler system to set off?” Carlos asks, reaching into the cooler beside him and grabbing a couple of drinks, passing one off to TK.

TK leans forward so he can focus on Carlos in the light of the campfire, despite the fact that the day has faded into dusk. “Yeah, aside from our dates gone wrong. I’m just wondering if there’s a reason you chose to bring me here, to this place, instead of all of the other places you could’ve taken me to.”

“I used to come here a lot as a kid. My parents used to bring us here for the weekend. Money was tight back then, but my parents always wanted us to be able to get away and do things together. I don’t know, I guess I just remember those times as some of my greater memories. I know that this isn’t really your scene,” Carlos says with a sigh.

“It’s not,” TK agrees. “But I love that you brought me here because you want to share this place with me. Maybe we can make some new memories here… if you think you can handle spending more than one night with me.”

Carlos reaches over with his free hand and takes hold of TK’s, silently bringing it up to his lips and kissing his knuckles. He settles their intertwined hands in his lap, turning his attention back to TK. “You’d want to spend more than one night with me?”

“Of course I would. I might be insufferable at first, getting used to sleeping practically on the ground, but I’m sure I’ll adjust.”

Maybe he’ll be miserable, because it definitely wouldn’t be anything like the comfort of his own bed, but it’d be worth it to see Carlos happy. Even if he does need to fight his own grumpiness over being stuck in the outdoors.

“But what if you weren’t sleeping on the ground?”

“I’d love to try one of the cabins, if you’re not against the idea, but it seems like this is kind of a whole thing.”

“It _is_ a whole thing, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I think maybe I’m not being direct enough.” Carlos chuckles a little. “What would you think about us waking up together every day?”

TK sets his water in the cupholder, squinting a little as he looks at Carlos. The words themselves aren’t confusing. Still, it feels like some algebraic equation, and TK never was all that great at math.

“How would we wake up together every day? We’d have to go home at some point.” Carlos’ brows lift at the end of that statement, and suddenly the entire meaning and weight of the conversation shifts. “Oh, you mean us living together?” TK swallows slowly, watching Carlos for a reaction.

“I’m just asking if it’s something you’ve thought about. I know you weren’t sure before, and you said you wanted to think about it before making a decision, especially considering the unique situation with your parents. I’m not pressuring you, I just want you to know the option is there, if you want it.”

“So, I talked to my dad the other night,” TK begins. “I told him that I’ve been in a really good place for a while, and that I think I’m ready to take that next step. He’s a little concerned about me keeping my sobriety on my own, but he said he'd consider it.”

Carlos nods his head a little, and he looks a bit like he’s had the winds let out of his sails. “Okay.”

“He said the only way he’d feel totally confident is if I were to live with you, because he knows that my sobriety is as important to you as it is to him. I, uh, I told him I didn’t think you were ready to take that step with me, or take on that responsibility—”

“TK, you’re not a _responsibility_ ,” Carlos vows, tracing the outside of TK’s hand with his thumb.

Tears burn behind TK’s eyes at the conviction in Carlos’ voice. “If this is something that you’re sure you want—” TK says, unsure.

“I’m sure.” Carlos releases his hand then, grabbing the stick from the ground beside his chair and using it to move the logs on the fire, revealing the hot coals beneath. “I haven’t been this sure of anything in a really, really long time.”

“Neither have I,” TK admits, not tearing his eyes away from Carlos even as he prepares the fire for their s’mores. “Somehow, I’m lucky enough to be with you... even if your idea of a great date is taking me out into the wilderness and starting a fire. I’d say that means that if something happens at least there’s a firefighter here,” TK begins. “But I remember exactly how that ended at Torched Tableside. And I’m not about to ruin this night with you.”

Carlos hums and leans over to kiss TK tenderly. “I don’t think there’s anything that could ruin this moment,” he promises.

And he’s right.


End file.
